New Delhi:
Reigning champion Pankaj Advani and veteran cueist Geet Sethi will spearhead the Indian challenge in the World Professional Billiards Championships beginning in Leeds, UK on Wednesday.
While five-time champion Sethi will make his 19th appearance at the five-day-long event, national snooker champion Advani would be seen in action for the fourth time.
Advani had defeated nine-time champion Mike Russell 2030-1253 last year in September to win the elusive World Professional Billiards Championship. Sethi, on the other hand, failed to advance to the knockout stage in the previous edition.
Advani, who turned professional in 2007 at the same event, would be looking to get back to winning ways after failing to defend his IBSF World Billiards (point and time format) and national billiards titles this year.
For the 25-year-old Bangalorean, the road to success is not going to be easy as the field comprises of nine times world champion Russell, Singapore's Peter Gilchrist and Myanmar's Nay Thway Oo.
Russell had beaten Advani in the summit clash of IBSF Billiards point format title in Pune this year and also got the better of the Indian in the semifinals of Time format too.
"World professional championship is a major event where I will be defending my title. It's going to be an action-packed five days with best cueists in the world competing for the coveted title," Advani said.
"Russell is a good player and I am aware of his skills and technique. Apart from him, Gilchrist is another player to look out for," said the ace cueist.